December 6.20112011 IRB Sanctioned Havana Howlers Sevens - written by Fred Forster 
A Seven aside rugby tournament took place in Havana Cuba on December 2nd & 3rd 2011. To say the tournament was a success outlaw be an understatement. in all 13 teams competed10 in the men’s division and 3 in the women’s division. 
The tournament was organized as a joint effort by Canada 's Dog River Howlers Rugby Club president Karl Fix and Cuba Rugby headed up by Chukin Chao . The Fix took responsibility for organizing the teams, referees, awards and financing while Chao was responsible for permits, fields and all local matters.
The event took place over 2 days at Eduardo Saberio Stadium in Havana. A facility close to downtown and with stand for 3,000 plus people. This was the second annual Sevens and is destined to become a perpetual annual event. 
This year’s tournament had National teams from Cuba, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago ( (Venezuela were scheduled but ran into some travel permit problems and had to withdraw). Two USA teams, Santa Monica and Atlantis, one Canadian team, Dog River Howlers and One German sleet team “Hanover Sevens “. Other local sides were Cuba B, Cuba C and ISS, a team from the Havana international Sporting School, comprised of foreign students in Cuba hailing from countries including Argentina, South Africa, Chile, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Columbia.
The standard of play by the top 6 teams was as good as any club sevens in Canada, US or Ireland. The pace was fast, the athletes were fit, the defense was great and the refereeing was first class.
The ladies teams were, Atlantis USA, Dog River Howlers Canada and the Cuban National Team. The Cuban women were playing their first ever international rugby game. The visitors from Canada and the USA were top class and gave a demonstration of skill, fitness and class. 
There were 26 games on Friday culminating in seeding for the Sunday event in which 16 games were played. The women’s final was won by the Canadian Howlers (14-12) in an exciting game against the USA Atlantis team, organized by Emil Signes, former coach of the USA national sevens men’s team. Referring of the highest standard was performed by 3 Canadians(David Robinson, Andrew Petti and David Laporte) 2 Cubans(Chukin Chao and Alexis Figueras) and one Argentinian now living in Spain (Pablo Alonso).
The men’s playoffs was a high standard series of games of exciting rugby. Howlers won the cup by defeating Santa Monica 26 -7 in the final. Germany’s Hanover Selects beat Mexico 19 -12, in the plate final the Cuba National A team won the bowl 19-0 against Atlantis and the Trinidad Tobago Enthusiasts beat ISS 26-0 in the Shield final " 


Participating Teams 

1. Canada Dog River Howlers Men2. USA Atlantis Men3. USA Santa Monica4. Germany, Hanover Sevens5. Mexico. The National men’s Sevens(Las Serpientee)6. Trinidad and Tobago Enthusiasts7. ISS (International Sports School)\8. Cuba National Team A9. Cuba B10. Cuba C11. Cuba Women’s Team12. Canada Dog River Howlers Women13. Canada Dog River Howlers Women

Trophy And Awards Winners 

Men
Alberto Granado Award MVP of the Havana Howlers Rugby 7'sTrofeo Alberto GranadoJMV (jugador mas valioso) del Torneo de Rugby Habana Howlers 7's Trofeo ------------------ Miguel Carner (Mexican National Team)
José Martí Cup Cup ChampionsCopa José Martí -----------------------------------------------------------------Dog River Howlers Rugby Club (Canada)
Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Plate ChampionsPlato Carlos Manuel de Céspedes --------------------------------------------------- Hanover Selects (Germany)
Máximo Gómez Bowl ChampionsTazón Máximo Gómez - 2011 ------------------------------------------------------ Cuban National Team (Cuba)
Antonio Maceo Shield Award Escudo Antonio Maceo ------------------------------------------------------------ Trinidad and Tobago Enthusiasts ( Trinidad and Tobago)


Women
Emil Signes AwardWomen's MVPTrofeo Emil "Emilito" SignesJMV - delas mujeres (jugador mas valioso) ---------------------------------------------- Lindsay Stephenson (Atlantis)
Mariana Grajales Cup ChampionsCopa Mariana Grajales Coello -------------------------------------------------------- Dog River Howlers (Canada) 
Ana Betancourt Plate ChampionsPlato Ana Betancourt --------------------------------------------------------------- Atlantis (USA)
Candelaria Figueredo Bowl ChampionsTazon Canelaria Figueredo ----------------------------------------------------------- Cuban National Team (Cuba) at




Scores 
Day One
Atlantis -10 and Cuba B - 0Howlers Men- 21 and Santa Monica - 0Howlers Women - 40 -and Cuban Women's National Team - 0Mexican National Team - 45 and ISS - 0Cuban Men's National Team - 39 and Cuba C - 0Atlantis Women - 41 and Cuban Women's National Team - 0Atlantis - 7 and Hanover - 15Howlers Men - 0 and Trinidad&Tobago Enthusiasts - 12Mexican National Team - 19 and Cuba B - 0Cuban National Team - 7 and Santa Monica - 14Atlantis Women - 10 and Howlers Women - 0ISS -0 and Hanover - 31Cuba C - 0 and Trinidad&Tobago Enthusiasts - 25Atlantis - 12 and Mexican National Team - 28Howlers Women - 26 and Cuban Women's National Team - 0Howlers Men- 5 and Cuban Men's National Team - 0Hanover - 26 and Cuba B - 0Trinidad&Tobago Enthusiasts - 12 and Santa Monica - 14Atlantis Women - 0 and Howlers Women - 0Howlers 52 and Cuba C - 0Atlantis 22 and ISS - 0Mexican National Team - 10 and Hanover - 12Cuban Women's National Team - 0 and Atlantis Women - 25Cuba C - 0 and Santa Monica - 28ISS - 0 and Cuba B - 12Cuban National Team 22 and Trinidad&Tobago Enthusiasts 12 
Day Two
Howlers - 31 and Atlantis - 0Hanover - 26 and Cuban National Team - 0Howlers Women - 26 and Cuban Women's National Team - 0Trinidad&Tobago Enthusiasts - 43 and ISS - 0Cuba B- 19 and Cuba C - 5Howlers - 26 and Mexican National Team - 12Hanover - 21 and Santa Monica - 21Atlantis Women - 26 and Cuban Women's National Team - 0Mexican National Team -10 and Atlantis - 0Santa Monica - 14 and Cuban National Team - 14Cuba C - 17 and Cuba B - 0Trinidad&Tobago - 26 and ISS - 0Atlantis Women - 12 and Howlers Women - 14Cuban Men's National Team - 19 and Atlantis Men - 0Hanover - 19 and Mexican National Team - 12Howlers - 26 and Sanata Monica - 

TOURNAMENT DATES FOR 2012 TO ANNOUNCED  IN DUE COURSE. FOR MORE DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT KARL FIX AT karl_v_fix@hotmail.com

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